Seahawks sign LB Mike Taylor, TE Travis Beckum

Originally published February 10, 2014 at 6:41 pm
Updated February 11, 2014 at 2:31 pm

The Seahawks have signed two former Wisconsin players, linebacker Mike Taylor and tight end Travis Beckum.

Taylor was on the Seahawks’ practice squad for a week in December.

With rosters free to expand, the Seahawks have added 10 players since the end of the season. They can have up to 90 players when offseason programs begin in the spring.

Taylor played with Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson at Wisconsin in 2011. During his senior year in 2012, Taylor suffered a sports hernia. The injury forced him to miss the NFL scouting combine and he was not drafted last spring.

Beckum was a third-round draft choice of the New York Giants in 2009 and played three seasons and parts of a fourth for the Giants, catching 26 passes for 264 yards.

Beckum suffered a knee injury in the Giants’ Super Bowl victory after the 2011 season, an injury that then landed him on injured reserve.

He was not on a roster in 2013.

Beckum just turned 27, and if healthy and back to the form he showed with the Giants, could contend for a roster spot.

Ware hearing set

A pretrial hearing for Seahawks running back Spencer Ware, who was arrested for driving under the influence on Jan. 12, has been set for March 3 in King County District Court.

Ware had blood-alcohol readings of .124 and .122 after being arrested in the early morning on the day after the Seahawks beat the Saints in the divisional playoff round.

It was recently concluded by prosecutors there was enough evidence to take the case to trial.

Ware was taken in the fifth round of the 2013 draft out of Louisiana State and played in the first two games of the season, rushing for 10 yards on three carries in the 29-3 victory over the 49ers in the second week. He suffered an ankle injury in that game and later was placed on injured reserve.